§ 680.250.Judgment Debtor

This is the shortest kind of definition -- one clause, no cross-references -- but it anchors an enormous share of the Enforcement of Judgments Law. Whoever a judgment is rendered against is the judgment debtor, full stop, and that single fact triggers a cascade of consequences: exposure to levy on nonexempt property, the right to claim statutory exemptions, obligations to respond to post-judgment discovery, and protections against improper or excessive collection tactics.

Unlike "judgment creditor," which the neighboring section extends to guardians, successors, and assignees, this definition stays narrow. The debtor is the debtor -- the person the judgment runs against -- though other EJL provisions elsewhere address what happens to enforcement when that person dies (§ 686.020) or transfers property to someone else.